The Sunday Mirror says Adkins is the bookmakersâ€™ favourite to be the first Premier League boss to go after the Saints began their return to the top flight with three straight defeats.

Redknapp would not be a popular Â­appointment on the South Coast after his ill-fated previous spell with the Saints, but another man on the list of out-of-work bosses could well catch Â­chairman Nicola Corteseâ€™s eye.

Benitez has been has been out of Â­management since being dispensed with by Inter Milan in December 2010.

But the Â­Spaniard is a Champions League winner with Liverpool, and also guided the Anfield club to an FA Cup success. He was surprised not to be approached to make a Liverpool return after Kenny Dalglish was sacked.